Yorkshire Dales base

rajdav

Hi,
I plan to spend 3/4 days in Yorkshire Dales this summer. I need advice on a suitable village to base myself. Each day I'd plan to cycle 50-80 miles and try and see as much as I can. I do not want to have travel each day.

Any thoughts much appreciated.

Thanks

ugo.santalucia

Hawes... seems the obvious choice, squeezed between the two most famous passes

plodder73

If you want easy access to all the nice climbs, Malham, arncliffe, Halton Gill, Park Rash, Fleet moss, I would stop Grassington or Kettlewell. Hawes is ok but it's a slog to get to some of the climbs I've just mentioned.

trivial_poursuivant

Not technically in the dales but Layburn is very close and if the weather is against you, you have the North Yorkshire moors close by and there is some nice routes heading toward Harrogate.

pmannion9

+1 for Kettlewell

hdow

Has to be Hawes. Surrounded be miles of good rides to north, south, east & west. Good climbs of Fleet Moss and Buttertubs straight out of town. Easy to incorporate Lamp Moss, Barras, Coal Road, The Fleak, Dale Head and many others on day ride loops. Sort of distances you are looking at can get Park Rash or Kidstones in quite easily

ugo.santalucia

The main problem of cycling in Britain is credibility... the names of the climbs do not suit cycling, they sound stupid compared to the French ones... take "Park Rash"... what kind of a name is that? It's a name of a disease at best

stifflersmom

ugo.santalucia wrote:

The main problem of cycling in Britain is credibility... the names of the climbs do not suit cycling, they sound stupid compared to the French ones... take "Park Rash"... what kind of a name is that? It's a name of a disease at best

What?! The names suit the type of cycling you'd encounter though. If it was called the bench of pretty girls or something daft like that you might get the wrong idea about the climb.
I'd echo being based in Hawes - great loops north and south from there; and fantastic cheese.